


We Had a Good Thing (Going)

by phdmama



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, FOUR fest, M/M, Reverse Chronology, break up fic, the spaces between us
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-16 05:17:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21502495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phdmama/pseuds/phdmama
Summary: Sometimes things fall apart.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 22
Kudos: 89
Collections: FOUR





	We Had a Good Thing (Going)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Justalittlelouislove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justalittlelouislove/gifts).



> This was written for the FOUR fest - huge thank you to [KK/dinosaursmate](https://dinosaursmate.tumblr.com/) for putting it together!! (and for her patience!)
> 
> Also, this is for [Nadia](https://justalittlelouislove.tumblr.com/), for being so steadfast and encouraging. I'm blessed to know you, love. 
> 
> Thank you so very much for reading this!
> 
> General note: I'm not currently authorizing any translations of my fic. I don't post them anywhere else and I do not give permission for that, so if you see them out in the wild, please let me know!
> 
> Also - the last song is from Stephen Sondheim's _Merrily We Roll Along_ , called, funnily enough, "Good Thing Going"

_Who's gonna be the first to say goodbye?_

**FEBRUARY 2020**

Louis goes to New York for a week and fuses with Niall’s couch, while Harry moves out. He’s signed the lease on an apartment not far from where they’ve been living, in Liam’s building, and even in the depths of his own pain, Louis is glad that Harry will have a friend nearby, in case he gets sad. 

The thought of Harry feeling sad and alone in his dumpy little studio apartment, even if this whole fucking thing is _his fault_ , sets off another bout of weeping, and Niall just nods, grabs the kleenex and places it gently next to Louis’ head, before sitting quietly with his hand resting heavy between Louis’ shoulder blades. 

This one doesn’t last quite so long, and fairly soon, Louis is sniffling and mopping at his face with a large handful of tissues. Bless Niall, he’d stocked the ones with lotion, as well as beer, nacho fixings and Chips Ahoy. 

“I just don’t get it,” Louis says finally, inhaling shakily. “I mean, yeah, we’ve been. I don’t know. Disconnected. Out of touch. I’m not stupid.” He knows he’s repeating himself, saying the same things he’s _been_ saying over and over again, his thoughts bouncing around in a panic inside his skull as he struggles to understand. “I mean, it happens over a long-term relationship, you know?”

Niall simply nods. Louis has never fully understood Niall’s deal. He doesn’t date a lot but seems to know everything about relationships. 

“Are you actually married to a goat farmer in the mountains of Ireland?” Louis asks abruptly and Niall laughs. 

“Oh no,” he says in a deadpan voice, “You’ve figured out my secret. I have a husband, three children and two llamas all waiting for me in the old country.”

“Llamas,” Louis says wistfully. “I should have known when he refused to get that cat.” He blinks rapidly, waiting for another deluge of grief to wash over him but the only thing that comes out is a small hiccup. 

Niall shrugs. “To be fair, that cat was kind of scary.”

“Yeah,” Louis says morosely, “But maybe we could have healed it with love, you know? Maybe it would have saved us.”

“I mean,” Niall says and pauses delicately. “If adopting the thirteen-year-old unneutered barn cat that has a tendency to assert his dominance by leaving headless mice on your auntie’s front porch was the thing your relationship needed, maybe it couldn’t be saved.”

Louis laughs even as the tears well up. “I guess you’re right, Nialler.” He breathes in, a long shuddering inhale, breathes out. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

Louis stays an extra day, but even his flexible office is starting to get a bit strident in their texts asking when he’s coming in, so he finally heads back to Somerville. It’s ugly out, raw and windy, sleet spattering on the windshield of the Uber as he climbs out, grabbing his bag from the trunk and waving as the driver pulls away. He pauses, staring at the familiar porch steps. There are no lights shining in the windows, and it hits him, this is it. Harry is really gone, and Louis is walking into his apartment where he lives alone. Because he's single now.

He grabs his mail, making a note to change the label on the box from where Harry’d written “The Tomlinson-Styles Estate” and had drawn whimsical vines around the edges of the card, but he can’t face it right now. 

**8 DAYS PRIOR**

Harry’s words tear through Louis like shrapnel, and in the silence that follows, Louis’ ears ring, and he wonders if it's possible to simply drop dead from heartbreak.

“What?” He whispers after a long moment, clutching the bag of pre-washed lettuce to his chest. “What did you just say?”

“I said,” Harry tugs at his bangs and bites his lip in a way that Louis knows he once found endearing, “I looked at an apartment today. In Liam’s building.”

Louis can’t help stating the obvious. “But you live here.”

Harry sighs, and looks… not angry. Just defeated, Louis thinks. Like it’s already over. Like he’s already out the door, leaving nothing behind but an empty, unswept room. Leaving nothing behind but Louis.

“Louis.” Harry sighs again, and they just stare at each other. 

Louis sets the lettuce down carefully and makes a mental note to put it back in the fridge after. Harry hates it when he’s careless with food, leaving things out so they wilt or get warm. He opens the cupboard to pull out a glass and then sets it on the table. He’s forgotten to run by the packy so there’s no wine, only that fancy cider Harry prefers, but it gives Louis gas. Harry slides into his usual seat and it hits Louis that they haven't sat down to a meal together in ages. Weeks, at least — maybe longer.

Harry buries his face in his hands for a moment and then looks up, his eyes swimming. “Louis,” he whispers. “I just. I can’t do this anymore,” and there it is, the elephant in the apartment, finally out in the open.

“What do you mean?” Louis stares at him, but he can’t say he’s surprised. 

Maybe the only surprise is that Harry broke first. 

It’s been months of this, ever since their dinner after Annie’s shower. Months of pretending things aren’t strained between them, months of dancing around the topic of the future. Louis knows he’s as much to blame as Harry is. He remembers that moment, the drop between his leap of “maybe he’s proposing” and the fall of what came next. 

He hadn’t known what to say, other than “What the fuck?” He still feels bad about that poor waiter, asking if they wanted dessert. 

“I just.” Harry runs a hand through his messy hair and Louis looks at him, really looks at him for the first time in months, and sees how sad he looks. He’s lost weight, and there are circles under his eyes. “I can’t live like this anymore. I can feel how much I'm disappointing you, every single day, Louis. I know what you want, _who_ you want, and I don’t think I can be that person. My therapist, she thinks…”

“Your therapist?” Louis interrupts, stung. He hadn’t known Harry had actually been going. He wonders what else he doesn’t know. “What, she told you to break up with me?”

“No,” Harry closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them, looking directly at Louis. “She told me to talk to you.”

Louis drops into the chair opposite Harry and leaning his elbows on the table, rests his head in his hands. “What the fuck has happened to us?” He looks back at Harry. “And when did you start going to therapy?” 

Harry looks away. “A few months ago. It just hit me. Like, everyone around us is getting married, having kids even, and I’m still managing the bar. I’m twenty-eight years old, Louis, and I feel like a fucking kid. And every day, I see you go off to work to make the world a better place, and I’ve just gotten so…” 

His voice trails off and he sighs.

“So what?” Louis asks as the silence stretches out. “I know we’ve been in a rough patch, Harry, but are you seriously thinking of letting go of us? We've been together for _ten years_.”

“I know,” Harry bursts out and Louis jolts back in astonishment. “I think that’s maybe part of it too. I met you my freshman fall of college and we’ve been together ever since. You’re so sure, Lou, about everything. You knew exactly what color to paint the bathroom, and you always know which brand of olive oil to get, and you drive a Prius and, fuck.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m still working nights at Toad.”

“I mean, if this is about your job, or a career,” Louis begins but Harry just shakes his head.

“That’s part of it, yeah, but it’s more. I'm just... not happy. I just feel like, all I do is go to work and come home and hang out here. I want more.”

“We can fix this,” Louis whispers. “We can travel. You’ll talk to your therapist about career goals. We’re just in a rut. We can make this be different, we _can_ , Harry. We don’t have to get married or make any permanent decisions. Just try, please.”

“The thing is,” and the look on Hary’s face stops Louis cold. “I’m already doing career counseling. And I am planning to travel. I might move to New York, I don’t know. Or teach ESL in Japan. I’m going to do something, a whole bunch of somethings, to change things. I’m just not going to do them with you.”

**DECEMBER 2019**

They’re headed out for dinner after Annie’s baby shower, and Harry is acting weird. He seems nervous and jittery, and Louis can’t quite figure out what’s going on. He’s been off all week. They manage to have a lovely dinner, talking about the adorable gifts and how good Annie looks, when Harry stops and takes a deep breath.

All of a sudden, it hits Louis. _Maybe this is it?_ They’ve talked about marriage off and on over the years, though to be fair, the topic hasn’t come up recently. Louis had finally confessed that he’d overheard Harry’s conversation with Liam, and it had led to a good — albeit painful — conversation. Everyone cried, but Louis thought they’d come out of it stronger and closer, that subtle gap between them seemed smaller, at least for a while.

The thing is, Louis _is_ ready. He loves Harry, and even if sometimes it feels like they don’t quite reach each other, well, that’s normal for long-term relationships, isn’t it? It’s been ten years, and Louis can’t imagine his life without Harry in it. Furthermore, Louis wants settled and solid. He wants a dog or that damn cat. A home. A regular life. Harry, on the other hand, Harry’s always been more content to just live in the moment, not quite sure where he's going. He’s been talking about going to see a counselor, maybe someone who can help him figure out where to go from here. 

Maybe this is Harry saying he’s prepared to take the next step. Not set a date or anything, but ready to make that formal commitment, that they are _it_ for each other. Louis feels his heart bounce at the look on Harry’s face, scared but determined, like he knows that this is a moment there’s no returning from. For the rest of their lives, Louis thinks with excitement, this will be the moment they’ll look back on, the moment they decide, and then Harry speaks, and Louis realizes, he had it wrong. Completely wrong.

"What the fuck?" Louis stares at Harry, as the waiter approaches the table proferring dessert menu and, taking a good look, turns around and walks away. “You don’t want kids?”

Harry shakes his head, takes a sip of water. “No. I mean, I’m psyched for Annie and everything, but I just. I can’t see myself doing it, you know? At least, not any time soon.”

“But you might want to at some point?” Louis pushes, feeling on the edge of panic. “Like, is that a _not ever,_ never kind of thing?”

“I don’t know,” Harry says, the first edge of irritation rising in his voice and it hits Louis that the sound is familiar. That he’s been hearing that a lot. “I don’t know what I want, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“But, you’ve always said you did?” Louis whispers helplessly, his stomach in knots. 

“Not for a while now,” Harry says quietly. “I thought maybe, back when it was all hypothetical and far away, but now, it’s real. And I haven’t said it in a long time. Months, maybe more. You just haven’t been listening.”

**JUNE 2018**

Louis is just coming back from the bar, Harry’s gin and tonic in one hand, his beer in the other, when he hears Liam say cheerfully, “So, you guys’ll be next, huh?” and Harry just laughs.

“Yeah, doubt it.”

“What?” Liam’s voice is a bit shocked. “Why not? I mean, we’re not getting any younger.”

“Dunno,” Harry’s voice is casual, and at first, Louis can’t pick up any sign of discomfort at this line of questioning. “Marriage isn’t really high on my list of priorities, you know? Me and Lou, we’ve talked about it. He’s still working so hard towards making partner, and I’m…” his voice trails off and now Louis hears it, the frustration. “I have no idea what I’m doing with my life. I never thought I’d still be at Toad.”

Liam says, “I thought you were liking it, especially now that you’re managing, working more days. I thought it was better,” and it hits Louis that Harry has talked about this more with Liam, who was Louis’ friend first, than with Louis, and he feels something cold settle in his gut.

Harry says, “Yeah, I mean, it’s better, but still. I didn’t go to college to manage a bar, you know? I look at Louis and he’s so sure about what he’s doing, and I just feel like I’m floundering a bit. Not the ideal time to get married, you know?”

“What’s Louis say?” Liam asks and Louis holds his breath, waiting for the answer.

“Oh you know Louis,” Harry says with an affectionate laugh, “He’s always supportive but he’s like, ‘it’ll be okay, babe,’ and ‘you’ve got plenty of time.’” Harry pauses. “It would almost be easier if he were like, ‘get off your ass and figure it out,’ but he’d never say that.” 

There’s a long pause while Louis waits, heart pounding, but then the DJ turns up the music and the moment is lost. Louis makes his way closer, accepts Harry’s thanks with a smile, and wonders how he can feel so far away from Harry, when Harry’s standing right next to him, laughing at Shawn’s bad puns. 

This time, when they dance, there’s no talk of someday.

**JUNE 2017**

Harry holds out his hand to Louis and pulls him to his feet as he says, “May I have this dance?” and Louis laughs.

The reception is winding down, and the DJ has switched to something slower and smoother. Harry pulls Louis in close, and Louis rests his head on Harry’s shoulder. He inhales the familiar scent of Harry’s cologne, rubs his cheek against Harry’s and lets himself dream for just a moment, picturing himself in Colin’s place, watching Harry walk down the aisle, and unbidden, the words slip from his mouth.

“Do you ever think about it?”

There’s a long pause and then Harry says, “Yeah.”

That’s it. Just a quiet _yeah_. 

“Not now, I mean, just.” Louis holds on tight. “Someday.”

“Yeah,” Harry says, his voice thick and when Louis meets his gaze, Harry’s eyes are full. “Someday. God, Lou, I love you so much.”

Louis smiles, wondering why his heart is aching. “Me too, Harry. So much.”

Later, he lies awake and thinks about that moment, wondering when someday will become now. When they’ll be sure.

**AUGUST 2016**

Harry is laughing so hard he can barely get the words out, and Louis can’t help but laugh along with him. They’re sitting on Liam and Zayn’s back deck, drinking beer in the later summer heat of the afternoon, and it’s been one of those perfect lazy days they so rarely get together anymore. Between Louis’ clerkship and Harry’s hours, they don’t have a lot of leisure time these days, and Louis is counting the moments until their week off together next month. They’d wanted to go to Greece, but it ended up being too expensive, so they’d settled for Maine. They’ve got what looks to be a gorgeous cabin on a lake not too far from Acadia National Park, and they’ve already planned out hikes, shopping time in Bar Harbor, and lots and lots of lounging around. It’s going to be great, and, Louis thinks, as he gazes affectionately at Harry, he can’t wait to spend time just being with his favorite person, who’s now snorting loudly as he tries to describe the customer who’d somehow returned from the men’s room completely naked.

It’s going to be _great_. 

**MAY 2015**

“It’s going to work out,” Louis says firmly, standing in the bedroom doorway. “I swear it is, Harry.”

There’s no sound from the lump on the bed and Louis runs a hand through his hair. He’s got three finals next week, his clerkship starting the week after, not to mention they’re moving in a month, and he honestly doesn’t have time for Harry to be having a crisis right now.

“What even happened?” he asks, moving in to sit down on the edge of the bed. He places a hand between Harry’s shoulder blades. 

“Downsizing,” comes the morose whisper and Harry finally rolls over onto his back to look at Louis. “The entire department was called into the conference room at 9 am and let go. We were fucking escorted from the building.”

“This morning?” Louis asks in surprise. Harry hadn’t texted him until 5:00. “What were you doing all day.”

“A bunch of us went across the street to the Lily and had a few drinks,” Harry says. “Mike’s wife is pregnant, and he’s freaking out. Alice just moved into a bigger apartment and she’s not sure she can make rent this month. I guess I’m pretty lucky.” 

“That sucks,” Louis says and Harry shrugs. 

“I’m just gonna go back to Toad. I stopped in on my way home and they’re expanding their open mic night, adding some other things, and Alex said I can have my old schedule back. In fact,” Harry glances at the clock and leaps up in alarm. “I’ve got to shower, I’m on tonight,” and he hurries into the bathroom.

Louis frowns. Harry’s old schedule was nights, Wednesdays through Sundays, and had been stressful for them both, which was why he’d made the move into the corporate world. 

“I thought we’d agreed you’d try and work hours more closely aligned with mine,” Louis says cautiously, heading into the bathroom to where Harry is splashing about under their low-pressure shower. At least the hot water is unlimited, given how long it takes him to rinse the shampoo from his hair. 

“Yeah, and look how well that worked,” Harry replies, the room filling up with the steam and the spicy floral scent of his latest Etsy purchase. “Laid off after six weeks, that’s got to be a record.”

Louis snorts. “You know it’s nothing to do with you, babe. Are you sure you want to go back to Toad?”

Harry turns off the shower and accepts the towel Louis hands him. “Yeah, for now, it’s fine. Let’s just get through the move, get you settled into your new job, not to mention graduation, and then I’ll figure something out.” His voice is muffled by the tower as he makes his way back into the bedroom. “Speaking of graduation, I had some ideas of where to take your folks?”

And just like that, they’ve moved on.

**JUNE 2014**

Harry drains the last of the champagne straight from the bottle and grins at Louis, clearly a bit loopy. His nose is pink from spending the whole day in the sun, and his curls are still squished from his mortarboard. They’re on the back porch of the house he shares with eighteen of his closest friends, and the party is swirling around them, but all Louis can see is Harry.

Harry grins and Louis raises his beer in a toast. “Hey, graduate,” he says and Harry laughs.

“Fuck, can you believe it? I graduated.” He twirls around, nearly falling off the edge of the porch and Louis grabs him by the waist, laughing.

“I never had a doubt, sweetheart,” he says, planting a kiss on Harry’s nose and Harry laughs.

“And you know what the best part is?” Harry says, winding his arms around Louis and leaning in close.

“What?” Louis asks as Harry starts to pull him back into the house. The way his hands are wandering gives Louis a pretty good idea of where the night is heading.

“Tomorrow morning, we pack up everything and head to Somerville, and by tomorrow night,” Harry stops to kiss him and give his ass a friendly squeeze, provoking howls from their friends in the living room, “we’ll be living together.”

Later, after love and more champagne, after promises and soft kisses, Louis lies awake, watching Harry sleep in the gleam of the streetlight right outside his window, and he dreams and plans and waits for tomorrow, the day his life truly begins.

**DECEMBER 2012**

Louis looks out the kitchen window in his tiny Somerville apartment. It’s snowing hard and showing no sign of stopping.

“But, you promised,” Harry is saying, and Louis sighs.

“I can’t even get up the street, Harry. I tried, okay? It’s not safe.”

“What about a bus?” Harry argues and Louis closes his eyes. 

“Harry, it’ll take me hours to get to South Station in this weather, and even then.”

Harry sighs again. “Yeah, okay. I know. I’m just disappointed. I’ve been looking forward to this formal for weeks, and you promised you’d be here.”

Time together has been a sore spot between them this term. Harry is headed to Italy for the Spring Semester, but Louis’ course load this Fall is ridiculous, and he’s only been up to visit Harry twice since September. 

“I know,” Louis says. “You know if there were any way, I’d be there. I would.”

“It just feels kind of like maybe you’ve outgrown the college thing,” Harry says so quietly Louis can barely hear him. “Like maybe things have changed.”

“Harry, it’s a fucking blizzard. C’mon.” Louis can’t help feeling a bit lambasted. “Nothing’s changed. I want to see you more than anything, it’s just not safe, baby.”

He knows how much Harry loves it when he calls him baby.

Harry sighs again. “Yeah, okay. Listen, I’m gonna go finish this stats problem set. Talk to you soon?”

“Of course,” Louis says.

After Harry hangs up, Louis spends a long time listening to the dead air between them, watching the snow fall.

**APRIL 2012**

Louis rolls over and curls around Harry. It’s an unseasonably cool Spring day, three weeks before his graduation. Rain pounds against the windows, but inside his tiny dorm room, it’s warm and bright. Harry is collapsed on his back, curls splayed out across the pillow, still panting.

“Jesus,” he says, “Lou.”

Louis grins. “Told you.”

“That was, fuck. That was amazing.” Harry wraps his arms around Louis and just holds on, and it’s quiet for a moment.

“I’m going to miss this,” Harry says softly and Louis sighs.

“I keep telling you, I’m not going anywhere.”

“But you are,” Harry says. “You’re going to Boston. And I’ve got two more years here.”

“Harry,” Louis pushes up onto his forearms. Harry has one arm thrown over his eyes, and Louis can see the way he’s biting his lip. “Harry, c’mon. Look at me.”

Harry slowly drops his arm and looks at Louis.

“I told you,” Louis says, and it’s a thrill, how sure he feels right now, of this, of Harry, of everything. “We’ll make it work if we want to. I’m not going anywhere.” He leans in to press a soft kiss to Harry’s mouth. “It doesn’t matter where I am living, I’ll be with you. Always.”

Harry starts to smile. “Always, huh? That’s kind of a long time.”

Louis smiles back and leans in again. “Now you’re getting it.”

**SEPTEMBER 2010**

“Hey, is this seat taken?”

Louis looks up to see what is quite possibly the most attractive human he’s ever laid eyes on standing awkwardly in the aisle, a laden backpack slung over one shoulder, and it’s like he can’t breathe. He’s not sure what’s happening inside of him. It feels like a song is starting. It’s almost familiar but he can’t quite make out the tune.

“You’re gonna hurt your back,” he says without thinking, pulling his backpack off of the chair next to him to make room. 

The man slides by him and settles in, giving Louis a quizzical glance as he passes.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Oh, just,” Louis waves at the enormous backpack the guy drops on the ground. “That looks heavy.” He feels himself flushing. “My mom was always banging on about wearing my backpack on both shoulders, you know?”

The man laughs, and Louis feels a thrill shudder through him. The guy looks young, almost unfinished, but his laugh is like melted chocolate, deep and dark, and something hits Louis right in the solar plexus. There’s something about this guy. 

“Oh, I’m usually pretty careful.” The guy slouches down in his chair and hooks his feet over the back of the empty seat in front of him. “Good posture is everything to me.”

Louis snorts and the man slants a sideways glance at him and then grins, and Louis is done for because, dimples.

“What’s your name?”

“Louis,” Louis says faintly, heart pounding in his ears, “I’m Louis.”

The man holds out his hand. “Hey. I’m Harry.”

_It started out like a song_   
_We started quiet and slow,_   
_with no surprise._   
_And then one morning I woke to realize_   
_We had a good thing going_

_It's not that nothing went wrong_   
_Some angry moments of course_   
_but just a few_   
_And only moments, no more because we knew_   
_We had this good thing going_

_And if I wanted too much_   
_Was that such a mistake at the time_   
_You never wanted enough_   
_All right tough, I don’t make that a crime_

_And while it's going along_   
_You take for granted some love will wear away_   
_We took for granted a lot but still, I say_   
_It could have kept on going_   
_Instead of just kept on_   
  
_We had a good thing_   
_going_   
_going_   
_going_

_Gone._

**SEPTEMBER 2020**

Louis wanders down the street towards Davis Square. He’s not meeting Liam and Zayn for another hour, but he doesn’t want to be at home anymore, staring at the walls. He’s leaving tomorrow for his vacation, just heading up to Vermont for a few days to see his mom, but he’s got plenty of time to run one last load of laundry, and anyway, worst-case scenario, he just takes it with him. His mom doesn’t care. 

It’s a gorgeous day, with the low humidity and clear blue skies that New England does so heartbreakingly well. It’s warm enough that he’s got his jacket slung over his shoulder; he knows it’ll cool off by the time they get out of the theater and he’ll be glad for it. 

Louis spots an open table outside of the crepe place, and drops into it with a sigh, asking only for coffee when the waiter offers him a menu. He’s not sure which trendy new restaurant Zayn’s selected for dinner, but he wants to be hungry for it, and they’re planning to eat before the show. 

His phone chimes and he smiles at Niall’s incomprehensible string of emojis. Louis is going directly from Vermont to New York, and he can’t wait to see Niall. It’s been a couple of months, which is far too long, in Louis' opinion. In the ten months since he and Harry broke up, Louis' been leaning hard on his friends. He's sought out his own counselor, and taken a good long look at the way he'd been taking Harry for granted, the way he'd been so sure of what he wanted that it had blinded him to their struggles. He's not quite at the point where he can appreciate Harry's courage in leaving, but he thinks maybe he'll get there. 

The hardest time, though, is late at night, when Louis rolls over and reaches out, and the other side of the bed is empty. He just can't picture anyone in his bed except Harry.

He’s grinning at the phone as even more emojis are coming through when a shadow falls across him, and then a low voice says, “Hey, is this seat taken?” and he looks up to see —

_Harry._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> I'll be honest. I've been very blocked and writing this was very hard (and I don't feel like I did it justice, so I may need to revisit it when I've got more spoons). 
> 
> As always, the words, as well as the errors, are mine. 
> 
> Feel free to [come say hi on Tumblr!](http://phd-mama.tumblr.com/) If you enjoyed this, the rest of my stuff can be [found here!](http://archiveofourown.org/users/phdmama/works)


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